Oven switch



Feb. 18, 1958 D. c. sEvEY ovEN SWITCH Filed June 11, 195e Y RY me w v eme .V5 m ma T A M o U H Y .B E

United States Patent O F OVEN SWITCH Don C. Sevey, Abingdon, lll.,assigner to Midwest Manufactoring Corporation, Galesburg, Ill., acorporation of Illinois Application June 11, 1956, Serial No. 590,459

2 Claims. (Cl. 2Mb-61.81)

This invention relates to range structures and more particularly to anovel oven door switch construction.

In present day `domestic ranges, ythe oven may be pr ovided with aswingable door having a glass window disposed therein. The glass windowenables the person using said range to look into the interior of saidoven and examine the contents at any time without openlng the door.

` A source of illumination, such as a light bulb, is usually mountedwithin the oven, and when energized, illuminates the oven interiorsuiiciently to enable the operator to readily see the contents. Acontrol switch, connected between the light bulb and source ofelectrical energy, may be operable to connect and/or disconnect saidlight bulb from said source of energy as desired, and usually operatesin conjunction with the opening of the door to turn the light on whenthe door is opened.

- Heretofore, a supplemental control switch has usually been provided,mounted on the instrument panel above and to the rear of the burnerplatform, whereby the operator may turn on the light independently ofthe door switch in order to illuminate the oven contents without openingthe door. In the above instance, it is necessary for the operator toreach over said platform in order to operate the switch. Whenever theburnersY are being used, the operator, by being required to reachthereover, may come into accidental contact with said burners or cooking.containers placed thereon, resulting in painful burns.l Furthermore,because of the position of thisv switch, it was difficult to turn it onand view the contents of the oven at the same time.

The novel oven door construction of the present invention overcomes theabove described disadvantages of the prior art devices.

Other advantages will be obvious herefrom and a more completeunderstanding thereof will be realized upon reference to the followingdisclosure and accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the switch operator of the presentinvention, certain hidden parts being shown by dashed lines;

` Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of an oven and a part of anoven door structure embodying the present invention, taken on the line2-2 of Fig. l; Y

Fig. 3 is a top plan view ot the frame of the switch operator showingthe switch operating lever with the return spring removed; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation with certain parts broken away to illustratethe interior.

Briefly, this invention comprises a switch operator that is mountedwithin the contines of the oven door, and which is provided with meansextending exteriorly of said door that may be operated to actuate anoven light control switch without moving said oven door.

Thus one switch is used which turns on the light automatically when thedoor is opened and the same switch may be actuated when the door isclosed. This permits 2,824,185 Patented Feb. 18, 1958 ICC a reduction inwiring as well as the number of switches. It also makes it possible towire a range exactly the same regardless as to whether or not the doorhas a window.

Fig, 2 is a section through the side door frame of a range oven andthrough the door associated therewith. The wall of the oven 10 isprovided with a right angled flange 11 on which is mounted a switch body12 that is disposed in a depression 13 in the panel. The switch may beheld in position by any of the usual means not shown and is providedwith an operating plunger 15, that is spring pressed outwardly as shownin the dashed lines. The switch structure itself is conventional as isits mounting on the side of the range oven. In the plunger out" positionthe switch is closed and energizes a circuit to a lamp within the ovento illuminate its contents in a manner known to the art. Normally theswitch is pressed inwardly, by the action of closing the oven door, toopen the circuit; when the door is opened the switch closes and turns onthe light so that the contents of the oven are illuminated. In thisinstance, the door includes an inner panel 20 telescopically engagedwith an outer panel 21. The inner face 22 of the inner panel whichcloses the oven opening is provided with a pair of brackets which aresecured to the face of the panel 22 interiorly of the door. Each bracketcomprises a base 24, welded to the inner panel, and a U-shaped portion25. Two of these brackets are provided, one near the top edge of thedoor and one spaced downwardly therefrom. The outer extremity 26 of eachbracket is provided with an opening for the reception oi a fastener 27,the stern 29 of which extends through the opening of the bracket forholding the switch operator about to be described. In this instance, theinner panel 22 is provided with an opening 28 in registry with theoperating pin 15. Therefore, when the door is closed, the pin may passthrough the opening 28 to the position shown in dashed lines.

The operator of the invention includes a means for engagement with theoperating pin 15, electively closing the opening 28 and normallydepressing the operating pin 15 when the door is closed. This means isprovided with a spring which is operable by a manually depressibleplunger to move the means away from the opening 28 and allow theoperating pin to pass through the opening and turnon the switch.

The above means includes a channel shaped frame having sides 30 and atop 31. The top is providedwith a U-shaped notch 32 in one end and anopening 33 in the other end. The frame is held to the brackets 25 by thefasteners 27 extending through the notch 32 and opening 33 and throughthe holes 29 in the ends of the bracket.

. The operating lever is made of a strip of metal havmg an elongatedbody 40, the mid point of which has struck therefrom a portion 41 whichextends in one direction and side portions 42 extending in the otherd1rect1on to provide a transversely extending eye for the reception of aCotter pin 43 which extends through the sides 30 of the frame andthrough the eye and thus pivotally supports the lever between the sidesof the frame. The lever is provided with an otset portion 45 at oneendwhich, as can be seen from Fig. 2, is disposed opposite the hole 28 inthe inner door panel. The other end of the lever is provided with aportion 47 otset in the opposite direction which is disposed opposite toan opening 48 formed in the wall 31 of the frame. This opening can be ofsubstantially any formanon, that 1n the drawings being shown asrectangular. Adjacent and spaced from the opening 48 is a smallertransversely extending opening 50 which is adapted to receive the end ofa leaf spring 52, one epd gf whih i5 provided with a curved foot 53 thatpresses against the lever 4.0 and. the other end of. which. passes.through theopening 50 and has a portion 55 extending over the wall 3l.An additional rectangular opening 60 may be provided, the: purpose beingto allow the springL 52 to operate more freely and to facilitate theassembly of the parts. t

The outer panel of the door is ing 70 in which a flanged guide having acylindrical barrel for receiving an operating pin 73. The operating pinhas a lever engaging portion 74.v and is held within the guide 72 by aflange 75 which abuts the inner edge of the guide.

provided with an open- 72 ist secured, the guide In operation, thespring 52 is sutiiciently stitf'that the portion 45 of the. lever isheld over the opening 28, and when the door is closed presses theoperating pin 15 inwardly operate the switch without opening the door,the plunger 73 may: beY pressed inwardly andv engages the. portion 47 ofthe lever which is rocked to the dashed line. position shown in Fig. 2,moving the part 45 away from. the opening 2S and allowing the plunger tomove to the position-shown by the dashed lines in Fig. 2.

It will be apparent therefore that with the device ot. the invention theonly' change from the standard oven required to provide a light thatmayy be turned on when the oven door is closed, is in the door itself.Thus, the oven may have its normal conventional wiring. It is alsoapparent that by pressing the plunger 73, the contents of the oven maybe illuminated at any time with the oven door closed, this beingparticularly useful when the door has a window, without opening the ovenand disturbing its contents or allowing the heat to escape into theroom. It is apparent that this structure is eX- tremely economical tomanufacture and adds considerably less cost to a range than a separateswitch and its associated wiring, and further that it puts the operatingmember for the switch into a position where the contents of the oven maybe viewed easily when the switch is turned on. Furthermore, iteliminates the possibility that the switch will accidentally be turnedon and left on with the oven light illuminated and eliminating theresultant consumption of power.

Having thus described the invention, I am aware that numerous andextensive departures may be madeV therefrom without departing from thespirit of the invention and the scope thereof as described by theappended claims.

I claim: 1. In a range having ani oven and a door therefor which hasspaced inner and outer.` panels, the inner panel having an openingtherein, an electrically energized light source in said oven, a switch4connected to controi the enerfization of said light source and having anoperator positioned to projectinto said opening in the inner panel ofthe door, the improvement which cornprises support bracket means mountedon the inner panel of the door and disposed between the inner and outerpanels of the door, an elongated lever pivotally mounted between itsends on said support bracket means, said lever at its upper endpresenting a portion which extends across said opening in the innerpanel of the door for engagement with the switch operator thereat, saidsupport bracket means having an outer wall disposed outwardly from thepivot for the lever, said outer wall on the support bracket means havingan opening therein below the pivot for the lever, aleaf spring having anoutwardly odset lower end engaging the-outer side of to cpentthe switch.Should it be desired to aes-1,185

said outer wall of the support bracket means bellow said openingtherein, said leafspring extending up through said opening in the outerwall of the support bracket means and engaging the lever above its pivotand biasing the upper end of the lever toward the inner panel of thedoor, said outer wall of the support bracket means having a secondopening therein which is disposed above said first-mentioned openingtherein and extends above and below the pivot for the lever tofacilitate assembly of the ieaf spring on the support bracket means,said outer wall ol' the support bracket means having a third openingtherein disposed below said first-mentioned opening therein, a guidesleeve mounted on the outer panel of the door and extending into thespace between the outer and inner panels of the door opposite said thirdopening in the outer wall of the support bracket means, a plungerseparate from the lever and snugly and slidably received in said guidesleeve, said plunger at its outer end projecting outward beyond theouter panel of the door, said plunger at its inner end projecting intosaid third opening in the outer wall of the supportbracket means, andsaid lever presenting an outwardly offset por!- tion at its lower end atsaid third opening for engagement by the inner end of tA e plunger whenlthe plunger is pushed inward to pivot the lever against the bias of saidleaf spring and move the upper end of the lever away from said openingin the inner panel of the-door.

2L ln a range having an oven and a door therefor which has spaced innerand outer panels, the inner panel having an opening therein, anelectrically energized light source in said oven, a switch connected tocontrol the energization of said light source and having an operatorpositioned to project into said opening in the inner panel of the door,the improvement which comprises a support bracket disposed between theinner and outer panels of the door, an elongated lever pivotally mountedetween its ends on said bracket, said lever at one side of its pivotpresenting a portion which extends across said opening in the innerpanel of the door for engagement with the switch operator thereat, saidbracket having an outer wall disposed outwardly from the pivot for thelever, said outer wall on the bracket having an openingtherein at theopposite side of the pivot for the lever, a leaf spring having an offsetend engaging said outer wall of the bracket adjacent said openingtherein, said leaf spring extending inward through said opening andengaging the lever at said one side of its pivot to bias said portion ofthe lever toward the inner panel of the door, said outer wall of thebracket having. an

additional opening therein, a plunger separate from the leverV slidablymounted in the outer panel of the door and at its inner end projectinginto said'additional opening in the outer wall ofthe support bracket,and said lever. presenting' a portion at said oppositeV side of itspivot at said additional opening in the outer wall of the supportbracket for engagement by the inner end of the plunger when the plungeris pushed inward to pivot the lever against the bias of said leaf springand move said first-mentioned portion of the lever away from saidopening inA the inner panel of the door.

ReferencesV Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,553,268 Romano Sept. 8, 1925 2,700,078 Gindele Jan., 18, 19552,758,197 Evans et al. Aug. 7, 1956

